Astronomy magazine podcast: New Horizons

Ganymede, the solar system’s largest moon, stands out in this February 27 image from the New Horizons spacecraft. The icy surface displays a mix of dark, ancient terrain and brighter, younger material. New Horizons was 2.2 million miles (3.5 million km) away when it took this image.

NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

March 1, 2007The fastest spacecraft ever launched from Earth stole a tiny bit of Jupiter's orbital energy this morning, picking up speed as it heads toward Pluto and the unexplored Kuiper Belt beyond. New Horizons came within 1.4 million miles (2.3 million kilometers) of the giant planet at 12:43 A.M. EST. The spacecraft hit its 500-mile-wide (800 km) "aim point" perfectly, putting it on course to reach Pluto in July 2015.

In this week's podcast, Senior Editor Rich Talcott explains the significance of the spacecraft's maneuver.